Solid defence gave East Bengal the title

S Ayyappa Swamy

No heartbreaks and no shocks. East Bengal, as has been their wont this fifth National Football League, played a percentage game against minnows-but-tigers-at-home State Bank of Travancore on Monday to lift their first League title.

Coupled with Mohun Bagan's second place finish, following a similar 2-0 victory over Indian Telephone Industries, it meant a 1-2 for the Calcutta maidan.

In the second NFL, Mohun Bagan had won the title and East Bengal finished second. This time, however, the positions have been reversed. And United Breweries Group, the sponsors of both the Calcutta giants, are glad that their teams bagged the top positions.

Barring last year, when they finished seventh, East Bengal have always had a top three finish. And it was indeed time that they won the NFL, for victory for Mohun Bagan would have meant too much of
domination by the maroon and green brigade. Bagan have already won the title twice in the last five years and that would take some beating.

East Bengal had the extra motivation to go for victory, which they had to ensure at any cost. And that was to honour the memory of their departed secretary Dipak 'Paltu' Das, who passed away recently.

Indeed, coach Manoranjan Bhattacharya is not known as a great motivator and is a man of few words.

"The players were keen that they do something for the memory of Paltuda," said Bhattacharya in
Thiruvananthapuram. "And they did it, in splendid style too, I would say."

Apart from the home advantage, SBT had another thing going for them -- the unseasonal rains which lashed the Kerala capital. But East Bengal's Nigerian powerhouse Omolaja Olalekan got both the goals much to the delight of his team mates and the partisan crowd at Thiruvananthapuram.

Bhattacharya's Mohun Bagan counterpart Subroto Battacharya ensured that at least he got his part of the script right when the Calcutta giants bested IndianTelephone Industries. Their Brazilian wizard Jose Barretto did not score any goals but set up two for his teammates. Not only did he score 14 goals (to equal Bhaichung Bhutia's record in the first year), but he also played the provider for R C Prakash and Co.

Where did Mohun Bagan lose out? Probably dropping points in the drawn encounter against East Bengal.
For they won their next three matches, whereas East Bengal drew two and won two of their last four
matches. The red and golden brigade always had their noses slightly ahead of Mohun Bagan. And that is what mattered most.

What won the title for East Bengal is their defence. They scored only 30 goals, but conceded a paltry
nine. On the other hand, Mohun Bagan scored 20 and ended with 19 against.

That in itself tells a tale.

Next year, it is the turn of Churchill Brothers to win the title, perhaps. Like East Bengal, they too have shown
amazing consistency. Again, like East Bengal, they had one bad year, when they finished ninth in the
second year. But they have had top three finishes in the remaining three years, emerging runner-up twice and
third once. And now again they finished third after a come-from-behind win over FC Kochin in a home
match.

Kochin had taken the lead through Aaron Cole, but what remains of the club -- take away Jo Paul Ancheri, I
M Vijayan and five disgruntled foreigners -- couldn't match the Goa outfit. Churchill won by a splendid 3-1 margin.

Kochin are yet to break into the top three.

Viva Vasco. What a splendid achievement. The qualifiers first looked to save their skin and then slowly
went about consolidating their position. And there is no gainsaying what their position would have been had
they converted a few of their 12 draws into victories. A fifth position in their first year surely deserves a
ticker-tape parade in Goa. Now the pressure is on them next year. And it doesn't start with their players
but whether Salgaocar will release coach Derrick Pereria, who was loaned to Vasco for the league.

After finishing one position behind Vasco at sixth, Salgaocar might now be tempted to replace their own coach
Marcus Pacheco of Mormugao Port Trust with Pereira.

Losing to JCT in the final match on Monday at Ludhiana could raise a needle of suspicion on the match
being fixed. But so astonishing has been Salgaocar's run in the second leg (they got just seven points from
11 matches, with 2 wins, 1 draw and eight losses including the last four in a row) that JCT's victory
comes as no surprise. Moreso, because the northern outfit enjoyed a wonderful run in the return leg with
18 points in 11 matches (4 wins, 6 draws, 1 defeat). From five points, JCT jumped to 23 and saved
relegation by the skin of their teeth.

Finishing above JCT were Mahindra United and Tollygunge Aggragami, who played out such an insipid 1-1 draw that it looked neither side were keen to sign off with a victory. Mahindra had a good chance of
finishing fifth and the results on the final day certainly worked in their favour. Mahindra have to do a lot of
soul-searching for their lost chances this season.

It was a contrasting day for Air-india and Indian Telephone Industries. The airmen, making a comeback to
the premier division, scored a superbly crafted 2-1 win over Vasco. Yet they could not rejoice for they
were doomed to Division II again. In comparison, ITI, who lost 0-2 to Mohun Bagan, could still get off the
field with a smile as their 22 points they gained meant they would remain in the NFL in the sixth season.

Highlights of the concluding round:

Best goal: Emeka Achilefu for Tollygunge against Mahindra United.
Best match: Air-India beating Vasco in the last match.
Disappointment: Mahindra-tollygunge in a 1-1 draw in Bombay.
Great Escape: JCT defeating Salgaocar to avoid relegation.

Results of the 22nd round:
SBT lost to East Bengal 0-2, in Thiruvananthapuram
Churchill Brothers beat F C Kochin 3-1, in Goa
JCT lost to Salgaocar 0-2, in Ludhiana
Mahindra United drew with Tollygunge Aggragami 1-1, in Bombay
ITI lost to Mohun Bagan 0-2, in Bangalore
Air-India beat Vasco 2-1, in Bombay